Influence of Social Norms During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumers’ Attitudinal Ambivalence toward Accommodation-Sharing Services: The Case of Japanese Consumers

Abstract

The sharing economy market has grown in recent years, and consumer interest in accommodation-sharing services has increased. However, the tourism industry has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some travelers have been reluctant to use accommodation-sharing services because of the possible increased risk of infection. Another major change during this period has been the emergence of new social norms, with people being expected to engage in preventive behaviors to curb the spread of the virus. This study examined the influence of new social norms during the pandemic on consumers’ subjective ambivalence toward accommodation-sharing services. The proposed hypotheses were tested using survey data of 664 Japanese consumers. The results showed that injunctive norms have a positive indirect effect on subjective ambivalence, mediated by social norm compliance and fear of COVID-19. Additionally, descriptive norms have a positive indirect effect on subjective ambivalence, mediated by social norm compliance. These results confirm that the social norms that emerged during the pandemic indirectly led to consumers’ ambivalence toward accommodation-sharing services through two routes and clarify the psychological mechanisms involved in those relationships. The managerial implications of these results are discussed.